Tsh is the writer and editor of Simple Mom, a blog dedicated to life hacks for home managers. She lives overseas with her husband and two kids, adores French-pressed coffee, and hates wearing socks.

Living overseas and having worked with a number of NGOs (Non-Government Organizations), I’ve been around a lot of charities. I can whole-heartedly endorse Mercy Ships because of the great folks behind it.

Mercy Ships travels around the world with their staff of medical and non-medical volunteers, bringing hospitals to places that otherwise have none. Their ship brings healing and hope to thousands of people who simply need basic medical assistance, dental work, surgery, or some other form of professional help. They also provide medical training to local clinics, embracing the whole “teach a man to fish” idea.

I love this concept. Instead of the high overhead cost involved with flying thousands of individual people to the technology needed (impossible to do), they bring the technology to their hometown.

Their simple mission statement is to “promote health and well-being by serving the urgent surgical needs of the forgotten poor and empowering developing communities.” The stories of hope are enough to encourage anyone to do what they can for Mercy Ships.

A few more facts:

Mercy Ships has performed more than 32,500 surgeries such as cleft lip and palate, cataract removal, straightening of crossed eyes, orthopaedic and facial reconstruction.

They’ve taught over 14,500 local health care and professional workers, who have in turn trained many others in primary health care.

They’ve delivered more than $60 million worth of medical equipment, hospital supplies and medicines.

More than 850 career crew from over 40 nations serve today, and more than 1,600 short-term volunteers serve with Mercy Ships each year.

Your donations provide the funds needed to give the world’s poor necessary medical help. Mercy Ships is most worthy of your dollar.

Note from Mandi: If you want to read more about the people serving on Mercy Ships, I encourage you to browse the archives at Ali’s African Adventures. Ali just finished serving with Mercy Ships, but she had been posting almost daily, chronicling the lives they’ve touched – and that have touched them – along the way.

To donate $1 to Mercy Ships to help provide medical care and hope to thousands of people worldwide, click here. Please use “One Dollar Give” in the dedication portion of the donation form. After you’ve donated, come back and vote in the poll so that we can count donations!

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(Yes, the poll offers you the choice between “Yes.” and “Yes.” because I didn’t think we really needed to count the “No” answers, and the poll required two choices! Hey, it’s not a perfect system, but it’ll work!)